In June 2016, we discussed big changes that Early Years Settings were going to face regarding their Paediatric First Aid Requirements.
At The Nursery HR People, we have received a lot of requests for further information on this topic and as there have been some big recent developments, we wanted to bring you an update on the new legislation that has now been confirmed. All Early Years Settings need to be aware of these changes to ensure that they are being compliant.
The new Paediatric First Aid rules which were due to come in to force in late 2016, have now become Statutory and state the following:
- At least one person who has a current paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate must be on the premises and available at all times when children are present, and must accompany children on outings.
- Childminders, and any assistant who might be in sole charge of the children for any period of time, must hold a full current PFA certificate.
- PFA training must be renewed every three years and be relevant for workers caring for young children and where relevant, babies.
- Providers should take into account the number of children, staff, and layout of premises to ensure that a paediatric first aider is able to respond to emergencies quickly.
- All newly qualified entrants* to the early years workforce who have completed a level 2 and/or level 3 qualification on or after 30 June 2016, must also have either a full PFA or an emergency PFA certificate within three months of starting work** in order to be included in the required staff:child ratios at level 2 or level 3 in an early years setting. ***
*In this context, “newly qualified entrants” includes staff who have been apprentices or long term students who have gained a level 2 or level 3 early years qualification.
**Newly qualified entrants who started work between 30 June 2016 and 2 April 2017 must have either a full PFA or an emergency PFA certificate by 2 July 2017 in order to be included in the required staff:child ratios at level 2 or level 3 in an early years setting.
***Providers can make an exception to this requirement where a newly qualified entrant to the workforce is unable to gain a PFA certificate if a disability would prevent them from doing so. Such a newly qualified entrant can still be included in the staff:child ratios if otherwise competent to carry out their childcare duties. Where possible, such staff should attend a relevant PFA training course and obtain written evidence of attendance.
- Providers should display (or make available to parents) staff PFA certificates or a list of staff who have a current PFA certificate.
- The certificate must be for a full course consistent with the criteria set in Annex A of the EYFS Framework (full details for this can be found in the EYFS link below).
The above changes form part of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage Framework which was published on 3rd March 2017 and takes effect from 3rd April 2017.
The full document (including Annex A) can be found at:
The revised Framework does highlight that “providers are responsible for identifying and selecting a competent training provider to deliver their PFA training.”. If you require help in this area, visit The Register of Regulated Qualifications, who can assist in identifying Paediatric First Aid Training providers.
Additionally, The Nursery HR People are now offering Paediatric First Aid Training courses directly through our website and if this is of interest to you, for further information and to book a course, please visit:
https://www.thenurseryhrpeople.co.uk/paediatric-first-aid-training/
In our original blog on Paediatric First Aid, we also discussed the proposed introduction of a newly created certificate called Millie’s Mark which would be awarded to nurseries where all staff members are qualified in paediatric first aid, and have well-deployed first aid processes. This award is now operational and can now be applied for by any nursery setting who meets the criteria. If you wish to apply for this award for your setting, further information can be found on the Millie’s Mark website at:
The Millie’s Mark scheme is a voluntary one, however to achieve this award, shows your setting to have a gold standard of Paediatric First Aid care, and we at The Nursery HR People would certainly recommend this.
The Nursery HR People firmly believe that the changes introduced in Paediatric First Aid are a positive step for the Early Years sector, but we also recognise that changes can at times be difficult to implement within the busy day to day life of an Early Years setting. The Nursery HR People offer a range of services that can help Early Years settings with this, so please do contact us with any queries you may have.
Have you received your free copy of our ebook which shows you how to free up more of your time whist still delivering outstanding results in your setting? If not then click here to get your copy today!
Fiona Tyson
Operations Director
The Nursery HR People
01509 833121
fiona@thenurseryhrpeople.co.uk
Less HR More Learning!